As you begin to plan your online course keep in mind your goal is not to put your existing course online. Many face-to-face course formats do not work online. The classic example of this is the lecture class.
Example:
The face-to-face version consists of a 3-hour lecture once per week, three papers, a midterm, and a final exam. Lectures are NOT interactive and interaction between students and the faculty member are minimal at best. Often the mindset is there is “a lot of content to cover” in the course and the teacher focuses in making sure all that information is conveyed.
It is quite easy to put this exact course online. Simply videotape each lecture, put the video on the web, have students submit papers via e-mail and take their exams online. What you end up with is a poorly designed online course where the faculty members role in the learning process is often questionable.
Moving content online is NOT about transferring content – it is about transforming content. The online materials should be suited for both the environment and the online learning – and this process is part art, part science. Online learning is unique and the instructor must factor in the uniqueness of the medium
Activity
- Please read Decide how you want to teach online
- Please read Decide what kind of online course you and your students need
- Please read Build on existing resources
The Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education
Based on decades of research on the undergraduate student experience, the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, developed by Art Chickering and Zelda Gamson in 1987, are a useful guide designing online learning environments.
- Encourages contact between students and faculty,
- develops reciprocity and cooperation among students,
- encourages active learning,
- gives prompt feedback,
- emphasizes time on task,
- communicates high expectations, and
- respects diverse talents and ways of learning.
In this article Arthur W. Chickering and Stephen C. Ehrmann describe how to leverage the seven principles using technology; IMPLEMENTING THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES: Technology as Lever.
Next, Step 1: Planning learning activities and assessments.
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